First off, sorry about the public response to a private message... I
thought the message had been sent to the list as well. Guess that's the
last time I trust the To: line in my E-mail program!
Anyway, on to the story! This chapter answers a few questions that have
been raised... as well as a few that haven't. Your C&C is welcome as
always!
Jellic�s Hateful Quest
Chapter 25: A Woman on Your Side is Worth Two in the Hand
�Katana, wake up!� Katana was loath to give up her sweet dream, as
waking up would begin what might very well be her last day with Jellic.
It was, however, Jellic�s sweet voice that called her forth from her
slumber, and so she pushed the covers aside and sat up. Jellic politely
turned away while she dressed; he had seen her before wearing far less
than she currently was, but they were not currently engaged in their
nightly ritual, so he gave her as much privacy as he could without
leaving her.
�Last night was wonderful, Jellic,� said Katana, uneasy in the
silence.
�As always,� replied Jellic. �But today will be a very special day!�
Katana forced a smile, which Jellic turned just long enough to see
before facing away again. �You haven�t forgotten what day today is, have
you?�
�Of course not,� she replied. �It�s the day we take our hero�s
oaths.�
�You�re not scared, are you?� asked Jellic. �After all, we�ve been
training for months.�
�That we have.�
�This is the moment we�ve been waiting for! Serculain has finally
defeated Ovor the Terrible, and he�s going to bestow the title of Hero
upon us before he leaves!�
Katana pulled her shirt down over her head. �I�m dressed, Jellic.�
Jellic sat down on the bed next to Katana and held her. �Is
something wrong, Katana? You don�t seem very excited.�
Katana squeezed Jellic for all she was worth. �I didn�t want it to
end! I wanted to be with you forever! It was fine being together when we
thought we still had so much time left, but that time has run out... and
I�m scared.�
�Scared? Of what?�
�Scared that I�ll lose you forever!� Katana wiped the tears from her
eyes with her sleeve.
�It�ll be fine, I promise.� Jellic kissed her firmly on the lips.
�We�ll take our vows together and be partners, traveling together and
fighting evil.�
�But what if we can�t be partners? What if we get separated?�
�We�ll just have to make sure they don�t separate us,� said Jellic.
�Now come on! We�ve got just enough time for breakfast before the
ceremony.�
Breakfast passed quickly, and Katana soon found herself standing
before the great hero Serculain himself, flanked by the village elder
and the village magus. Jellic stood beside her, his gentle grip on her
hand her only source of comfort. Katana felt naked under the stares of
the villagers around them.
�Here are gathered two warriors of good,� said Serculain, beginning
the ceremony. �Jellic, master of the sword; and Katana, master of
magic.� He reached behind himself and grabbed the two swords from the
rack. �By the testimony of their elders, and their own deeds which I
have witnessed, I declare these two fit to become Heroes and assume the
duties that the title entails.� He tapped Katana and Jellic on their
left shoulders with the swords, then on their right shoulders, then on
top of their heads. �Now, recite the Spell of Destiny which binds the
Hero, that your quest for good may begin.�
�I have a question, sir,� said Jellic. �Is it possible for us to
travel together, as partners?�
Serculain�s brow creased. �Have you studied well the words of the
Destiny Spell, Jellic? You must know that that is not possible.�
Katana felt Jellic squeeze her hand. �But... if we can�t be
together...� he began.
Katana swallowed. �I pledge to save those who need my help,� she
said, reciting the oath that she and Jellic had memorized. �To fight
evil wherever it may thrive.�
Jellic�s jaw dropped. �Katana...�
�To protect those weaker than myself,� continued Katana, determined
to finish despite the interruption. Jellic�s hand fell away from hers,
and she bowed her head. She began to say the last line of the oath, but
choked before she could get out the first word. She felt a presence
beside her, and snapped instantly to another time and place. She sat on
an abandoned bench in Obsidian City, and Jellic was sitting beside her.
He wiped the tears from her eyes, and together they said the last line
of the Destiny Spell. �To shun my love, or sooner shun my life.�
�You were talking in your sleep,� said Jellic. �But you weren�t
sleeping.�
�I know,� replied Katana. �I was just remembering the day we said
our oaths.�
�I was ready to turn and walk away,� said Jellic. �Why did you do
it? Why did you take the oath?�
�Because becoming a hero was your dream! From the moment Serculain
appeared in our world, you could hardly talk about anything else. I
couldn�t let you give that up for me, even if it meant I could never see
you again. I left you so that you could realize your dream.�
Jellic hung his head in shame. �And all this time, I thought it was
because you didn�t love me.�
�Oh, Jellic, it was because I loved you too much! I couldn�t stand
to see you miss your only chance to become a hero to be stuck with me. I
didn�t think I could possibly be worth that much to you.�
�I know. I realize that now. I would have been happy to stay with
you, but now I see that we just wouldn�t have worked as a hero pair. We�
d have spent more time concentrating on each other than on fighting
evil. That�s why shunning love is part of the oath. A hero can�t afford
to form attachments.�
Katana�s breath caught in her throat. �That�s what I need to tell
you about... the horrible thing I�ve done...�
�Whatever it is, it can�t have been that bad,� said Jellic. �After
all, I�ve been associating with the most evil beings in this dimension
since I arrived. You haven�t tried to kill me, have you?�
�No, but what I did may make you wish I had.�
Jellic sat bolt upright. �If you wanted my attention, you got it!�
�That�s just the problem. I wanted it too much. After all these
years, when I saw you, I suppose I went a bit out of my mind...�
�Stop beating about the bush,� said Jellic. �Whatever you�ve done,
just tell me!�
�I�ve been studying magic ever since I became a hero,� explained
Katana. �I�ve discovered many useful spells, including a spell that can
link two similar spells together.�
�Link two spells together?� asked Jellic, suddenly aware of where
this conversation was going.
Katana nodded. �It�s the spell that can bind two heroes� Destiny
Spells together. It can make two heroes partners forever, traveling to
the same places and fighting side by side for the rest of their lives.�
�You didn�t!�
�I didn�t know how you felt about me!� sobbed Katana. �I didn�t know
you already had a girl here... and a way to stay behind...�
�You did!� Jellic�s heart sank. �You linked my Destiny Spell to
yours, didn�t you?�
She nodded again. �I thought meeting you here was my chance to make
things right. I thought we could finally be together after being apart
for so long. I thought it was our reward for such good service as heroes
that we could finally realize the love we gave up so many years ago.�
Jellic held his head in his hands. �I can�t believe you would do
such a thing without asking me!�
�You were unconscious and vulnerable. I found your Destiny Spell
while I was trying to separate your Scyther body from your human body,
and I knew I�d never have another opportunity.�
�Maybe it�s not so bad. Maybe Mewthree�s spell can overpower the
link...�
�I�m afraid not, Jellic. Kasmira said it herself; Mewthree�s spell,
whatever that is, is barely powerful enough to shadow one Destiny Spell.
Two linked spells are well more than twice as powerful.�
�How could this happen?� moaned Jellic.
�It�s all my fault,� Katana said quickly. �If you�re going to be
mad, be mad at me. I deserve it.�
Jellic sighed heavily. �There�s no sense in getting mad. You did
what you did, and nothing can change that. Up until a few minutes ago, I
thought I was going to have to leave anyway. At least when I move on, I
won�t be alone. I guess it won�t be so bad.�
�Please, do me a favor,� urged Katana. �Don�t tell Ashley about
this. If she knew that I screwed up your only chance to be together...�
�Don�t worry,� Jellic assured her. �Your secret�s safe with me.�
The two heroes sat there on the bench in silence until Lobia ran up
to them, panting. �I finally found you! You have to get back to the
others!�
�What�s wrong, Lobia?� asked Jellic.
�Crusher�s got Ashley!�
�What do you mean, �got Ashley?��
�It just reached out and grabbed her! It�s going to pull her down
with it!� Jellic leapt to his feet and ran, with Katana hot on his
heels.
�Jellic, help me!� shouted Ashley as soon as he came into view.
Jellic looked up at the sinking Crusher, which was clutching Ashley
tightly in its upraised metal hand.
�Don�t worry, Ashley!� shouted Jellic. �I�m coming!� He concentrated
on his alternate form, turning into a Scyther in record time. Lobia and
Arthur gasped.
�Wow! Jellic�s a Scyther!� shouted Lobia.
�How did you do that?� asked Arthur.
�It�s a long sthery.� Jellic leapt into the air and flapped his
wings, but the pain lancing through his left wing nearly paralyzed him.
He crumpled to the ground in a heap and returned to human form.
�Your wing�s still broken,� said Katana. �You can�t fly in that
condition.�
�I have to get up there,� said Jellic. �Quick, who�s got a Flying
Pokemon handy?�
�We used them all while fighting the Crusher,� said Arthur.
�Then get another one!� he shouted.
�Can�t,� said Vesper. �The Pokemon Center�s smashed, and the next
nearest PC is miles away.�
�There has to be a way up there!�
�Jellic may not be the only one of us who can fly,� said Katana.
�Don�t tell me you turn into a Pokemon too,� said Arthur.
�Of course not,� replied Katana. �But my magic may be able to get me
up there.�
�Magic?� asked Vesper. �I don�t see how a magic show is going to
save her.�
�That�s because you�re from this dimension,� said Katana. �Let the
sky be my home! Float!� Katana slowly rose into the air, while Vesper
and Lobia�s jaws dropped.
�At least some of your magic works,� noted Jellic, much relieved.
�All I�ve lost is my attack magic,� replied Katana. �Don�t worry.
Ashley�s in good hands now.� Katana floated toward the hand that held
Ashley.
�How is she doing that?� asked Vesper.
�It�s magic,� said Lobia admiringly.
�Well, whatever it is, it�s working,� said Vesper.
�Never say that,� warned Jellic. �Every time someone says that,
something goes wrong.�
�What can go wrong?� asked Vesper.
�Katana, watch out!� shouted Ashley. Katana turned in the air to see
the Crusher�s empty hand reaching toward her, but was too late to avoid
it. The hand closed around her, pinning her arms to her sides.
�I can�t break free!� Katana shouted to the watchers on the ground.
�I can�t use my magic while my arms are pinned!�
�Sorry I asked,� said Vesper glumly.
Jellic glanced sideways at Kasmira. �Can�t you do something?�
Kasmira shrugged. �I never bothered with non-attack spells, and
those are the only spells that work here. I�m as helpless as you are.�
Jellic stared at the two trapped women as they descended ever closer
to the Mire�s surface. �Arthur, can�t you recall it?�
�Not while it�s using this attack,� replied Arthur.
�I can�t believe there�s nothing we can do!� fumed Jellic, watching
as the Crusher�s head disappeared. �Somebody think of something!�
�You�re the hero,� said Kasmira. �It will be interesting to see how
you handle this.�
�What we need,� said Vesper, �is some kind of attack with enough
force to get someone up to them. Whirlwind, maybe.�
�Flying type attack,� said Arthur. �We haven�t got any Flying type
attacks left.�
�What about Mewthree�s lifting attack?� asked Lobia.
�Telekinesis!� shouted Jellic. He picked up Lobia and kissed her.
�Lobia, I love you!� He threw the Pokeball. �Mewthree, use your
Telekinesis to get me up there!�
Mewthree examined the situation. They�re quite far away. I won�t be
able to move you quickly enough to reach them before they are submerged.
�Never mind that!� snapped Jellic. �Just lift me. I�ll take care of
the rest.�
Mewthree raised its arms and lifted Jellic into the air, moving him
slowly toward the hands that held Ashley and Katana. Jellic let his
wings sprout from his back and flapped them experimentally. Although his
left wing was useless, his right wing worked well enough to accelerate
his movement toward the girls. Unfortunately, they were sinking fast.
�You won�t have time to save both of them!� shouted Arthur, lending
voice to Jellic�s worry. �You�ll have to choose one!�
Jellic�s eyes darted back and forth between Katana and Ashley.
Katana was already beginning to cry, but Ashley�s face was full of
confidence. With a heavy sigh, Jellic steered himself toward Ashley,
painfully aware that if Mewthree�s power gave out, he would end up in
the Mire himself.
�Don�t worry about me, Jellic,� whispered Katana, just loud enough
for him to hear. �Once I�m dead, you can stay here with Ashley. It�s my
last favor to you.�
Jellic swallowed as he alighted on the fist that held Ashley. �Don�t
worry, Ashley,� he said. �I�ll get you out of there.�
�What about Katana?� asked Ashley.
Jellic looked over his shoulder at his former companion. �There�s
nothing I can do for her.�
�There has to be something you can do! You can�t just leave her
there!�
�If I don�t hurry, we�ll all die!� Jellic turned his arm into a
blade and set to work prying the metal fingers open. They offered
considerable resistance, but once he had pried them open, they didn�t
try to close again. �I think the Crusher�s fainted.� Jellic pried up
another finger, freeing Ashley�s arms. She grabbed onto him as he pried
open the next finger.
�Be careful, Jellic,� said Ashley. �Don�t drop me!�
�I�ve got you,� said Jellic, wrapping his arm around Ashley as he
pried open the last finger. �Mewthree, get us out of here!� Jellic and
Ashley felt the Telekinesis take hold as the hand descended under them.
Their combined weight was more than Mewthree could easily lift, but it
managed to keep them from sinking with the hand.
�Jellic, we can still get to Katana,� said Ashley. But even as she
said it, she realized that it wasn�t true. The hand holding Katana had
already begun to sink below the surface.
�Don�t worry, Ashley,� said Katana. �My sacrifice will make
everything right. I can�t explain it to you, but trust me. It�s better
this way. �
�What�s she talking about, Jellic?� asked Ashley. �Why aren�t you
going to try to save her?�
�I promised not to tell you,� said Jellic. �I�m sorry, but you�ll
have to believe me.�
�No!� shouted Ashley. �It�s not right! I don�t care what happened
between you! You can�t just let her die!�
�If she dies, I�ll be able to stay in this dimension forever!�
Ashley�s eyes widened. �Is that why you�re leaving her to die? So we
can be together?�
�I know it sounds horrible,� said Jellic, �but it�s what Katana
wants.�
�It IS horrible,� said Ashley. �Horrible, and heartless.�
�I wish there were something I could do,� said Jellic.
A low chant rose from one of the observers on the ground. �She be
me, me be she! Switch!�
Ashley shrieked. �Jellic, look!�
Jellic looked down at the hand that was dragging Katana into the
bottomless depths � and saw a different face in her place. �Kasmira!
What are you doing?�
�I have pride in my work, hero,� replied Kasmira. �After all the
times I�ve tried to kill Katana, how could I let her die on the one
occasion when we were allies? When she dies, it will be by my hand and
my hand alone!� With that, the Mire covered her head, and its surface
fell still at last. Arthur recalled it, and Mewthree let Ashley and
Jellic down to the ground. While Ashley held Jellic tightly, Vesper lent
a hand to Katana, who had fallen down, disoriented from her sudden
change in position. Katana pushed her hand away and sat up on her own.
�Why couldn�t she have left well enough alone?� sobbed Katana.
�What do you mean?� asked Vesper. �She gave up her life to save
yours.�
�You don�t understand,� replied Katana. �She knows her power in this
dimension is gone. Elvor�s got her cornered. By now, he�s probably
overpowered all of the soldiers she left to guard him and he�s on his
way here now. When Kasmira dies, she�ll come back to life in another
dimension ripe for the conquest.�
�Kasmira?� asked Vesper. �Who�s that?�
�There�s a lot more to this whole story than any of us know,� said
Jellic. �But Droll Vordekar wasn�t the only sorcerer in this dimension.�
�Droll Vordekar, a sorcerer,� said Arthur. �I suspected as much, but
I didn�t think an evil being could touch this dimension. Apparently, I
was wrong. And Natalie as well...�
Ashley stepped away from Jellic and knelt beside Katana. �What�s
wrong, Katana? Why did you want to die so badly?�
Katana answered without looking up. �Because when I leave this
dimension, I�ll drag Jellic with me.�
Ashley forced a smile. �That�s good, isn�t it? I thought you wanted
to be with Jellic.�
�But Jellic wants to be with you, Ashley. And...� She paused to wipe
the tears from her eyes. �Because of me, he can�t.�
�What do you mean, �because of you?��
�I was selfish,� said Katana. �I linked his Destiny Spell to mine.
We�re partners now, and there�s no way to break that connection unless
one of us dies.�
�But, without that connection...�
Katana nodded. �Jellic could stay in this world forever.�
Ashley opened and closed her mouth soundlessly.
Vesper scratched her chin. �So, if Katana hadn�t done this linking
thing, Jellic could stay here with Ashley, but now that she�s done it,
he can�t?�
Katana nodded again. �That�s why the only thing I can do is to
sacrifice myself for Jellic�s happiness.�
�No!� shouted Ashley, so fiercely that everyone around her took a
step back. �I won�t let you!�
�I can�t destroy your happiness,� said Katana.
�Do you think killing yourself will make me happy? Do you think it
will make Jellic happy?�
Katana paused. �I hadn�t thought of it that way.�
Ashley continued, �Jellic and I could never be happy together with
your death on our consciences.�
Jellic nodded. �Just because I no longer have the feelings for you
that I once did doesn�t mean that I don�t care about you.�
Tears streamed unchecked down Katana�s cheeks now. �But... your life
together...�
�I was wrong to want that life,� said Jellic. �I�m a hero... I have
a duty to uphold. I can�t throw away the fates of millions for the sake
of my own pleasures. Especially not if you have to die too. The cause of
good can�t bear the loss of two heroes.�
Katana sniffed in her tears. �You�re right. I suppose we were all
being a little selfish.�
Jellic put his arm around Ashley, who was beginning to cry as Katana
shed her last tears. �I�m sorry, Ashley,� said Jellic. �But we knew all
along that it wasn�t meant to be.�
�I know,� sobbed Ashley. �It wasn�t so bad when I knew that. But
knowing that there was a way, and that it�s gone now...�
�Boo hoo,� mocked a cruel voice from behind them. The group turned
to face Elvor.
�How long have you been here?� asked Jellic.
�Long enough,� replied his arch-nemesis. �You�re all pathetic, you
know. Since I was reborn in this dimension, I�ve had to endure enough
sap to choke a dragon.�
�Then maybe you should keep away from humans,� spat Jellic. �We won�
t mind in the slightest.�
�Oh, really?� asked Elvor. �Perhaps that would be wise. Now that I
am the leader of the Pokemon League, I should probably avoid being seen
in public too much. It�s not advisable for a ruler to make too great an
impression on his subjects.�
�The people of this world are not your subjects!� shouted Vesper.
�We�ll fight to the death for our freedom!�
�And we�ll fight against your evil tyranny!� added Katana. �Jellic
and I are linked, which makes us far more powerful when we work as a
team!�
Elvor snorted. �I can break that Linking Spell in an instant.�
�You can?� asked Ashley, forgetting for the moment whom she was
dealing with.
�Of course,� said Elvor. �It takes two spells to support a Linking
Spell. All I need to do is destroy one of those spells, and the link is
shattered.�
�But a Destiny spell can�t be destroyed!� protested Jellic.
�Of course it can,� returned Elvor. �All it takes is to kill the
hero.�
Jellic stepped in front of Katana and formed a blade. �I won�t let
you hurt Katana!�
Elvor slapped his forehead and shook his head slowly. �Sometimes
your naivete surprises even me.� He waved his arm as if to dispel the
oversight. �I wasn�t planning to harm your precious Katana,� he said. �I
was talking about killing you.�
--------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to "Whose Line is it Anyway?" where we make things up as we go
along, whether they make sense or badger.
JOHNNY BRAVO: *sigh* The only woman I ever really loved... and she's
gone. I wonder if I'll ever get over - Hey! Nuggets!
JACKIE CHAN: Oh, sorry. I broke your spy camera! (pause) SPY CAMERA?!
My webpage: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~katinamp